The problem with new authors is that,
since the recent trend of self-published e-books, there are so many
of them! Having been a wanderer of many a bookstore and library in
my youth, the days of casually browsing through shelves of familiar
names are all-but over and a beloved past-time has been desaturated
with tired angles and rehashed stories.
Breaking the mold is one Rebecca
Hamilton, a rare gem picked up by Immortal Ink Publishing for her
first book, The Forever Girl.
I'll be honest, I happened across an
interview with her on a blog that was offering a free copy of the
book, so I thought I'd give it a shot. With a complete stroke of
luck, I ended up winning the copy and did a ridiculous happy dance
that lasted all of 3.2 seconds before I realized nobody was there to
witness my gloating. (Self-gratification is for suckers)
So on to the book itself -
The Forever Girl follows the life of
twenty-two year old Sophia Parsons, a practicing Wiccan in a small,
religious town. Not her religion. Already being set apart as an
outsider, things complicate when she can't seem to escape a constant
buzzing in her head.
From there, Sophia's attempts at deeper
understanding lead into a well-crafted world of supernatural beings.
Not your typical vampire/werewolf nonsense that has taken paranormal
romance by storm and run rampant and streaking through the quad with
all the appeal of a sun-burned manatee...
Ahem...
Instead, Rebecca has woven together an
amazing mythology that holds through out the story. Her ability to
write tension is some of the best I've ever seen, painting panic with
words to accompany the rich, vibrant hues of the world she's crafted.
My advice? Pick up this book and call
in sick, because it's damned near impossible to find a stopping
point.
Aside from being a fresh talent with a
unique perspective on writing, Rebecca's a pretty cool person, having
agreed to do an interview for the writing group this week. Read it at the KFWWriters blog, then check back on Friday for an excerpt and
book give-away (so you can see what I'm talking about)
Or pick up a copy for yourself! And
thank me later.
Exceptional review, Bryan. I've got my copy.
ReplyDelete"My advice? Pick up this book and call in sick, because it's damned near impossible to find a stopping point."
ReplyDeletePerfect summation. Perfect.
Great review! I love this book.